How to Start the Path Toward Greater Wellness

Choose to Start

To make intentional changes, we must make intentional choices.

Do you really want to pursue a path to greater wellness, or do you just wish you would magically be healthier and happier? There is a difference. Wishing is passive. “I wish I were at a healthy body weight” is a passive desire that you don’t do anything to achieve. You wish it would happen the same way you may wish you would win the jackpot in a lottery. “I want to lose 5 kg” is an active desire that you can choose to pursue. A want is more powerful than a wish. Do you really want it?

If you genuinely want it, then it’s time to choose. Are you willing to try a new approach? Are you willing to make changes? Are you willing to put in effort? Are you willing to commit to completing tasks every day to achieve your goals? Do you choose to pursue that which is important to you? Do you choose to start taking steps toward a lifestyle that promotes higher levels of wellness?

If it seems too overwhelming, then maybe you aren’t ready yet. Maybe you are comfortable where you are now. Maybe you don’t really want it, and that’s alright. Change is difficult, and if you are happy with where you are, there may be no need to change anything.

If you aren’t happy with where you are and if you truly want to intentionally pursue a path toward greater wellness, then it’s time to choose to change.

Pick a Time to Start

When is as important as how. When would you like to get started on this new path?

For someone with a moderate level if motivation, changing behaviors may be something to start tomorrow or next week or next year.

For someone with a high level of motivation, taking the first step on the new path toward greater wellness may need to begin right now.

How do you know when you should start? The answer is based on how soon you want to gain the rewards of a wellness-focused lifestyle. The longer you wait, then the longer you’ll wait. How long do you want to wait?

If you don’t want to wait, then don’t put it off. Start in the present, at this very moment, … now.

Set Up Reminders

The human brain needs to be reminded frequently of what it must do to achieve goals. It’s the reason why we get hungry when we need to eat or tired when we need to sleep; our body is sending us reminders of what we need to accomplish to survive. Without those reminders, we may get distracted and forget to do important things like to to bed or take a lunch break when our attention is absorbed by something important to us. Likewise, we need reminders to pursue our values and goals.

Get out your calendar, schedule, planner, to-so list, etc. and choose when you want to remind yourself of your new path.

Next, choose how to want to be reminded. For audio reminders, maybe you want to phone to ring an alarm. For visual reminders, maybe you want to put a note on your bathroom mirror or an inspiring photo next to your bed. For tactile reminders, maybe you can put your running shoes on your desk to remind you to go for a run before you sit down to work or a book on your pillow to remind you to read a page before going to sleep. If you spend lots of time managing email, sign up for email reminders. If you read lots of articles, subscribe to posts, blogs, etc. that inspire you to follow your new path daily.

Commit to Learning

You do not have all the answers you need to achieve your goals. If you did, you would have achieved them already.

Realizing you don’t have all the information or that you may currently have the wrong information is a giant step toward wisdom. It opens the doorway to greater knowledge because it opens your mind, so you can learn the information you need to know. Recognize your naivety. Admit you need to learn more.

When you are ready to open up to new information, begin your journey by learning. Online articles, videos, podcasts, and groups are a great place to start. Ask questions.

Commit to Action

Choosing to start is an action.

Setting timers is an action.

Reading a book is an action.

Reading this sentence is an action.

You already have taken so many actions to start this journey of wellness. In fact, you’ve all already started the journey. You are on it right now. You already completed the first steps.

Now, keep it going. Keep taking those steps. Commit to continuing this journey every day or even every hour. Commit yourself to the lifestyle you want to have and the person you want to be by committing to complete the actions necessary to achieve your goals.